Explore recent outputs of the Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science (CFRS), and reference material on scientific freedoms and responsibilities.
Advisory notes and position statements
- ISC Statement on the role of universities in enabling responsible discussion and upholding rational debate in times of crisis and news item (issued 11 July 2024)
- ISC Advisory on academic boycotts and news item (issued 11 July 204)
- ISC Statement on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of Living Together in Peace (issued May 2024)
- Support for the integrity of Argentina’s science system (issued February 2024)
- ISC-IAP Statement on Protecting the Autonomy of National Academies of Science (issued December 2023)
- ISC Statement on Nicaragua (issued May 2023)
- Statement on concerns over escalation of extreme violence in Sudan (issued April 2023)
- UN International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members – CFRS and SAR call for release of Niloufar Bayani (March 2023)
- Statement on the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria (issued February 2023)
- One year on: Statements, offers of assistance and resources on the current war in Ukraine (issued February 2023)
- ‘No problem is too big’ – Combating discrimination in geospatial science (January 2023)
- Concern for science and research in Afghanistan following authorities’ ban on women from higher education (January 2023)
- Statements, offers of assistance and resources on the scholars in Afghanistan (issued January 2023)
- The state of HIV/AIDS research in Africa: An interview with Dr. Joyce Nyoni for World AIDS Day (December 2022)
- International Science Council deplores the exclusion of women from university education in Afghanistan and urges the Afghan authorities to reverse their decision (issued December 2022)
- 5 Key Takeaways from NASEM’s Webinar: ‘Censorship and the Right to Information during the Pandemic (October 2022)
- ISC and partners release report on the Ukraine Crisis, highlighting seven key recommendations for the international community to better support science systems affected by conflict (issued August 2022)
- Science in Exile Declaration is a call to action (issued June 2022)
- Halt the execution of Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali (issued May 2022)
- Statement on concerns for scientists in Iran (issued 18 March 2022)
- Support Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali to protect scientific freedom and responsibility (issued December 2021)
- Action for Afghan Scientists and Scholars (issued October 2021)
- Statement on the case of Greek economist and statistician Dr. Andreas Georgiou (issued 24 August 2021)
- Statement on the occasion of the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (issued 9 August 2021)
- Statement on protecting scientific freedoms to combat the COVID-19 pandemic (issued 2 June 2021)
- Advisory note: Procedures for addressing threats to scientific freedom (issued May 2021)
- ISC position on freedom of association (issued May 2021)
- ISC position on freedom of movement (issued May 2021)
- ISC position on conference and event boycotts (issued May 2021)
- ISC position on visas and online accessibility (issued May 2021)
- Statement on protecting human rights and scientific freedom in Myanmar (issued 6 April 2021).
- Statement on detention and capital sentence of Ahmadreza Djalali (issued 8 December 2020).
- Statement on Scientific Freedom in Japan (issued 26 November 2020).
- Statement calling for the release of researchers associated with the Persian Heritage Wildlife Foundation currently detained in Iran (issued 26 August 2020).
- Ethical responsibilities of scientists at a time of a global threat (issued 15 June 2020).
- Statement on Dr Ahmadreza Djalali, currently incarcerated and sentenced to death in Iran (issued August 2019)
- Advisory note: Responsibilities for Preventing, Avoiding, and Mitigating Harm to Researchers Undertaking Fieldwork in Risky Settings (issued September 2017).
Reference material
- Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author”.
- UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers.
- Declaration of the 9th World Science Forum 2019, Science, Ethics and Responsibility.
- AAAS Statement on Scientific Freedom & Responsibility (see also the related Report in Science).
- Article in the Times Higher Education supplement on new UK guidelines to tackle ‘complacency’ about overseas research.
- Resources from The International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies.
- CFRS Discussion paper. (December 2021). A contemporary perspective on the free and responsible practice of science in the 21st century.
- ISC Report. (February 2024). Protecting Science in Times of Crisis: How do we stop being reactive, and become more proactive?
Podcasts
The ISC has produced five podcast series on the topics of freedom and responsibility in science:
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